545 saturday review 1GR Saturday November 14 2020 | the times
MindGames The Times Crossword, Latin Crossword, Saturday Quiz and
Suko are in the back of the main paper
Codeword No 4120
Every letter in this crossword-style grid has been substituted for a number from
1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears at least once. Use the letters already
provided to work out further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the
smaller reference grid. Proper nouns are excluded. Yesterday’s solution on page 52
Stuck on Codeword? To receive four random clues call 0901 293 6262 or text
TIMECODE to 84901. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company’s network access
charge. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. For the full solution call
0905 757 0142. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s network access
charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm).
times2 Crossword No 8436
Across
1 Relatingtothestudyof
animals( 10 )
7 Succulentplant( 5 )
8 Entertainmentindustry( 4 , 3 )
10 Beffforethepresent( 3 )
11 Child'splaaything( 5 , 4 )
1113 CapitalofZambia( 6 )
14 VVVehicleoperator( 6 )
17 Criminals( 9 )19 WWWorddoffnegation(( 3 ))
20 VVVerylargelandmass( 7 )
22 Norwegianplaaaywright( 5 )
23 Natiiiveofff,eg,Harare( 10 )Down
1 Keenlyenthusiastic( 7 )
2 Nolongerahead( 9 )
3 Inagreement( 6 )
4 Artiffficiallanguagedevel-
opedfffromEsperanto( 3 )
5 Leisurelywalk( 5 )
6 Italiandessert( 10 )
9 AssigningVVVATat 0 %( 4 - 6 )
12 Countycricketteam( 9 )
15 Meatfffromadeer( 7 )
16 Smear( 6 )
18 Persianlanguage( 5 )
21 WWWeeploudly( 3 )SolutiontoCrossword 84351 2 3 4 567 8 910 11 1213 14 151617 18 1920 21 2223CURDS D S N
O E Y TROLLEY
NOVELTY U E L
C U L PORTICO
OPERA E G N
R BEWITCH
DYE U R H TIC
MISFILE L
R P T OZONE
EXTRACT L P A
A I S EMOTION
CHECKIN G U L
T D S YUMMYNeed help with today’s puzzle? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the answers.
Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).
Bridge Andrew Robson
This was the defining board of
the quarter-finals of the online
Minor Alt Invitational II.We start quietly ...West tried his singleton dia-
mond. Declarer won in hand,
crossed to the ace of spades,
ruffed a heart back to hand,
drew trumps, ran diamonds,
and conceded only a club at
the end. N-S +680.
And now for a more suc-
cessful auction ...East led the ace of clubs v
North’s 6 ♦, continuing with a
second club. Declarer won in
hand, unblocked the ace of
spades, drew three rounds of
trumps finishing in dummy,
and ran spades. Twelve tricks
made and N-S +1370.
Only one of the eight East-
West pairs entered the bidding
— resulting in mayhem ...If West leads any 12 of his 13
cards, 7 ♠ stands no chance. He
chose the 13th, the ace of
hearts. Declarer ruffed,
crossed to the ace of spades
and led the queen of hearts.
East played low smoothly and
declarer would have made his
doubled grand slam if only
he’d discarded a club from
hand — his only chance of
making. However, unwilling to
go two down, he ruffed. He
drew trumps and cashed dia-
monds but had to lose the ace
of clubs. West breathed a huge
sigh of relief. E-W +200.
[email protected]♠ 7 6
♥ A 10 5 3 2
♦ 7
♣ 10 9 4 3 2
♠ K Q J 9 8 2
♥ -
♦ A Q 6
♣ K 7 6 5♠ A
♥ Q J 8 7
♦ K J 9 8 4 2
♣ Q J
♠ 10 5 4 3
♥ K 9 6 4
♦ 10 5 3
♣ A 8SEN
WDealer North N-S VulTable ThreeTable TwoTable One
S W N E
1 ♦ Pass
1 ♠ Pass 2 ♦ Pass
3 ♣ Pass 3 NT Pass
4 ♠(1) end
(1) Gives up on slam facing partner’s
minimum opener with wasted heart
values (given the 3NT bid).S W N E
1 ♦ Pass
1 ♠ Pass 2 ♦ Pass
3 ♣ Pass 3 NT Pass
4 ♦(1) Pass 4 ♠(2) Pass
6 ♦ end
(1) Looking for a diamond slam.
(2) Ace-showing cue bid, co-operat-
ing in the diamond slam venture (I’d
have been a tad worried 4 ♠ was
regressive and playable).S W N E
1 ♦ Pass
1 ♠ 2 ♦(1) Dbl 4 ♥(2)
4 NT(3) Pass 5♦(3) Pass
5NT(3) Pass 6 ♦(3) Pass
7 ♠(3) Pass Pass Dbl(4)
end
(1) Michaels — showing 5-5 in the
other two suits. The suits are barren
but the vulnerability is favourable.
(2) Excellent barrage bid — all East’s
values are in partner’s suits.
(3) Okay, I confess, I’ve no idea what
was going on here. Nor, it appears,
did North-South. Credit East-West for
creating the conditions.
(4) Don’t lead a heart, partner.Mindset by 700 Literary Quiz
1 Identify four related four-letter words. Each word is associated The Times Literary Desk
with four of the words below:
BLIND BRITAIN BUDDY CARBON DOUBLE
ENDING LIVERPOOL MEAT MODERN OFFICER
PEANUT PLAY SKEWER SOY SPOUSE ST IVES2 The 700-seat Royal Nootropian Theatre is staging a play.
The first person to arrive has forgotten her ticket, so chooses a seat
at random. As others arrive they take their allocated seat or, if it is
occupied, choose another at random. What is the probability that
the 700th person to enter sits in their pre-allocated seat?3 Which is the odd word out?
HOT, JUICE, PAGES, TEA, CHIP, BUNTING, SHRINKINGAnswers on page 53Fatal Farewells
Which literary characters died
in the following ways?
1 Falling into the fires of
Mount Doom
2 Pushed off a cliff by classics
students
3 Shot in the foot by a starting
pistol at Llanabba school
sports day
4 Spontaneous combustion
amid stacks of hoarded papersAnswers on page 53The Listener CrosswordNo 4633 Cool Places Only by Ares
Senders of the first three
correct entries drawn will
receiveBrewer’s
Dictionary of Phrase and
Fable or may choose from
a selection of other books
(see below). Send your
entry with contact details
completed to: Listener
Crossword 4633 ,
63 Green Lane, St
Albans, Hertfordshire
AL3 6HE, to arrive by
November 2 6.Name........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Address.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Postcode..............................................................................Phone number....................................................................................................................The title cryptically represents the theme, a three-word phrase. Every clue either suffers an
effect of the theme prior to solving or has the effect applied to its answer to make the entry in
the grid; the effect always produces real words. After filling the grid, solvers must change one
letter and highlight the resulting thematic group (four letters of an entry, which also appear in
order, though not consecutively, in the thematic phrase). Enumerations after clues are the
lengths of grid entries. 10 is inCollins English Dictionary.Across
1 Guard thrown around Blake ( 6 )
6 Poems with bit added to depict port ( 6 )
11 Wool beater unusually breeds Tim with
daughter (9)
13 Initially block navy in Gulf state getting
arms’ components ( 5 )
14 Nurse Bill, not new, is an addict ( 4 )
15 Dream of cocktail following major broad (7)
1 6 Terrier runs to hide in cabin ( 5 )
1 7 Going west, sailor opening wine hamper (4)
18 As grabby as a hen that has just laid ( 4 )
19 CS Lewis, with one change of direction,
braving scrap metal (7)
22 Flighty creature, Bess wearing the foremost
article ( 7 )
24 Depression dissipates ( 4 )
29 Islander, singular bard (4)
31 Hardy, most competent cycling ( 5 )
32 Starts work on brash, bold circling lines
(7, two words)
33 Fanatical artist meets proposed price ( 4 )
34 Once proud person stopping loan (5)
35 Stoker suppressing almost imminent
inspiration ( 9 )
36 Method of turning bran into soy is
regularly employed ( 6 )
37 Storm down river skirting stone ( 6 )
Down
1 Duke leaves working party concerned with
disused rubble ( 6 )2 Perplexing rustic with flashy jewellery
( 6 )
3 Innings bordered local marker, say (7,two
words)
4 Wet opinion shortened act in a small
way ( 5 )
5 In uneven locations, dirty bone eases
thirst ( 7 )
7 Gave account of exploit where writer
replaces English (8)
8 Cornish stem used in fast brig (5)
9 Ban American honorific in letter, accepting
Irish rule ( 6 )
10 Radical hash blend, baby! (6)
12 Going north, wasting away month ( 4 )
1 7 Otherwise see sibs bid to wrongfully
dispossess ( 8 )
20 For last afternoon, bring in a desert lynx to
prance around ( 7 )
2 1 Cover buns in jam in a very warm place
( 7 )
22 Orb section supporting six special
sunshades ( 6 )
23 Endless bash on galley, perhaps wrong ( 6 )
25 French nuts for Ben, French nut ( 6 )
26 Bone counting as part of torso’s core
resilience ( 6 )
27 Blair’s promoting right change in Georgia
( 5 )
28 Del upraises this England lyrically ( 4 )
30 Doctor cutting additional sounds (5)Prize options and more at
listenercrossword.comMore information about
Chambers books can be
found at chambers.co.ukListener 4630 solution on
page 52